US still favourites to rule the pool, says elite Australian coach

MELBOURNE : Australian swimming is on the rise but the United States should still be rated as favourites to top the medal table once again at the Paris pool, said Michael Bohl, one of the world's top coaches.

Powered by Bohl-prepared swimmers, Australia won a national record nine swimming titles at the Tokyo Games three years ago, finishing second to the United States, who won 11 golds.

Having topped the swimming medals table ahead of the U.S. at last year's World Championships in Fukuoka, Australia's "Dolphins" will hope to deny the U.S. top spot at the Olympics for the first time since Seoul in 1988.

Australian great Ian Thorpe hailed the Paris-bound Dolphins as the country's best ever team at Olympic trials in Brisbane, but Bohl is wary of making such big statements and will not underestimate a U.S. squad laden with champions and world record holders.

"Obviously, the U.S. have been the number one swimming nation for the last 20 or 30 years. No one's even come close," the 61-year-old Queenslander told Reuters from the Dolphins' training camp in the south of France.

"Australia had a very good World Championships last year - the American team wasn't at full strength. We had most of our top-liners there.

"We're certainly on the rise. (But) I think they'd have to be favourites to retake that title as number one.

"What Rohan (Taylor), our national head coach, says is we're trying to get as many medals as we can. The thing with meets like the Olympics is to not get ahead of yourself."

Australia have finished second to the U.S. swimmers at five of the six last Olympics, and fans from both nations have savoured some thrilling individual rivalries.

Ariarne Titmus's defeat of American champion Katie Ledecky in the 400 metres freestyle